


The Black Of Blood

by TinyFox



Category: Long Exposure (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Established Relationship, M/M, Mentions of Blood, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-21 00:25:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10673868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyFox/pseuds/TinyFox
Summary: Jonas and Sidney just wanted to get supplies with as little drama as possible. But that's not how this world works.Zombie Apocolypse AU.





	The Black Of Blood

**Author's Note:**

> A few things  
> 1) Everyone knows about their powers  
> 2) Jonas and Mitch are already in an established relationship  
> 3) Everyone knows about them, except Dean.
> 
> Lovingly beta'd by my friend
> 
> Long Exposure belongs to Mars (smokeplanet)

It was far too quiet in the parking lot. A single, abandoned pickup truck sat in the middle of cracked concrete. The body was starting to rust, weeds sprouting around its deflated tires and orange dust lay on its windows. It had been months and months since it had last been turned on, left in the middle of the parking lot to become part of the scenery.

In the dusty truck bed, Sidney and Jonas sat, their eyes trained not only on the supermarket in front of them but on each and every alleyway and road around them. The houses around them were spaced out and few in number. The roads were wide and filled with pot holes.

They were in the open and not safe. Not yet at least.

But there were no signs of Crawlers or Runners. No signs of the new freak mutations that had appeared over the last few weeks that they’d yet to name.  
The lack of life made both Jonas and Sidney uneasy.

“I think we’re safe for now,” Sid breathed, hazel eyes focused entirely on the still doors of the building before them. At her hip was a pistol – one Dean had given her when it all started – and her hand rested on it, looking to pull it from its holster at any moment.

Jonas, on the other hand, was equipped with a measly baseball bat. Guns and bullets were now treasured items in this new world, so there was no doubt that Dean did not trust Jonas with either of these things.

Sid swung her leg over the side of the truck and jumped down onto the ground, Jonas scrambling down to follow. The hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. His gut twisted this way and that as they approached the store. He could feel someone, something, staring into his soul. His grip tightened around his bat, just in case.

The electric, sliding doors to the supermarket had been jammed open long ago, no doubt when the first wave of Crawlers came and people started shutting themselves into their own homes, hunkering down to try and escape the worst of it.

It hadn’t helped, of course. Crawlers were strong. They broke through doors within minutes. It had been terrifying.  
But there was always stuff left: canned goods and boxed foods that lasted forever and never went stale, sometimes they’d hit the jackpot and find medicines and painkillers hidden in the back.

Nevertheless, this was always their mission. Move from town to town and pillage the leftovers, scavenging like the stray dogs that prowled the streets.  
Sid led the way in, broken glass crunching under her feet. She pulled the gun from her holster and held it ready, keen gaze scanning over the aisles before them. Jonas drew his bat up to his shoulder and kept close to his sister.

It seemed, however, after a few minutes of patrolling up and down between the aisles, that the only thing threatening in the store was a pigeon fluttering around above them.

“Are you sure you want to put that away?” Jonas asked as they stopped to start grabbing cans of soup off the shelves. Sid strapped the pistol back onto her hip and raised an eyebrow.

“You scared?” She asked, unzipping her bag.

“Obviously.”

“You’re such a baby. Come here, I’ve got soup for you.”

“What kind?” Jonas pulled the bag from his back.

“Lentil.”

Jonas made a face but unzipped his backpack and held it out for Sidney to start filling it up. Slowly but surely, they filled up the bags, moving away from the soup to fill up on tinned vegetables, two bottles of water and condensed milk – a sweet treat that they stared at, wide-eyed. They’d hide that from Dean and share it with the few children their little group had managed to gather up.

They crept around until they eventually came to the cash registers, placing their bags onto the conveyer belt and zipping up, happy with the outcome of their little treasure hunt.

Jonas was ready to leave and start making their way back to their hideaway and back to safety as soon as possible, yet Sidney seemed to linger. She stared at a set of double doors that no doubt lead to the back of the store, where more food might possibly be waiting for them.

“We should go check,” Sidney said, swinging her backpack over one shoulder and making her way towards the door. “There could be painkillers back there, or powdered milk or more bottled water.”

This was true: more than once they’d come across the motherlode by venturing into the back of the store even when the front was empty.

And yet there was something holding Jonas back today. Even after the success they’d had today, his stomach was still churning and he had goose bumps. It was all very bizarre. There were no problems or setbacks. There was nothing around to prevent them from getting the food like there usually was. It was just too quiet.

Sidney pressed her hand against the door, pausing for the briefest of seconds to take a deep breath, before pushing it open.

The stench of rotting food was overwhelming. There were baskets and boxes of meat and cheeses growing mould and attracting flies. The fruit had turned to mushy green piles and, as they explored deeper into the store, they realised that any signs of surviving food had diminished. There were a few cans left and they snatched them up as quickly as possible.

As they turned to leave again, to make their way through the abandoned shelves, something clattered behind them.

They turned and their hearts jumped up into their throats. Sid immediately grabbed her pistol and Jonas’ hands tightened securely around his baseball bat. Slowly, the sound of footsteps echoed around them, just light beats to begin with.

As quietly as they could, Sid grabbed Jonas and started pulling him to the door, a silent plea on her lips for him to just move.

They reached the end of the shelf to see a single figure limping around the cases of rotten meat. Just the one, head tilted to the side, one arm swinging by her side, clothes torn and stained with black blood. Her grey skin seemed to be peeling away from the rotting muscle around her ankle, the leg of her trousers having been ripped away long ago.

But there was just one.

And it didn’t know they were there.

The gunshot was loud against the dusty air of the store. It was a clean shot, right through the head and the creature was down in an instant. No pain, no screaming, just the splash of blood splattering across the hard floors.

The ground turned black and Sid stepped out from behind the shelf, gun still aimed at the corpse in front of her. She kicked it, waiting for it to move again. It didn’t. Sidney considered it to be a perfect shot.

She was just about to lower her gun when she felt Jonas’ fingers gripping at her elbow. She spun her head towards him, a snarky comment just about to pass her lips when she saw it.

The hoard.

Dozens of Runners, each one of them focused entirely on Jonas and Sidney. Without a second thought, Sidney set off a number of shots. Blood splattered across the floors, but no zombie came down with it.

Sidney had no time to aim again as the hoard came charging and Jonas started dragging her back.

The hunt was on.

Together, they bolted back through to the front of the store, Runners hot on their tail. They could see the exit, just a few aisle over, just a few more hundred yards, and then... Then what? They’d lead them back to the group? Hide out in the abandoned houses until the danger had passed? Zombies were persistent blighters, any sign of food and they would stick around for days afterwards.

Jonas doubted they’d even escape this. His legs were starting to give out and he looked to his right, expecting to see Sidney at his side and keeping up with ease. But she was gone.

He kept going. He couldn’t just pause to look around. Visions of Sidney’s mutilated body danced in his head, her flesh torn from her bones, her skull cracked and oozing blood around her head like a halo. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He had to keep running!

At the thought of Sidney’s grizzly demise, lights started to glow around his body, thick ribbons of emerald green floated around his waist and limbs. He steeled himself and a blast shot out behind him.

The crashes and groans were left behind. He glanced over his shoulder to see an entire empty aisle having tipped over onto a good number of the hoard. A few zombies peered out from the rubble.

Yes, this was good. He just had to get out of the store now! He had to sprint again to make it, try and dodge as many zombies as he could, but he was sure he could make it!

But, as he came to the cash registers again, the sight of Crawlers, on all fours and hovering around the entrance made his stomach churn.

His legs shook, his heart pounded against his chest, and his bat was slipping from his grasp. His mind went hazy and he squeezed his eyes shut. He could see the lights behind his eyelids, swirling and spinning. There was the sound of explosions somewhere in his ears.

When he opened them again, everything was dark.

Or, at least, darker than it had been.

He was curled up somewhere, dust filling his lungs. Had he blacked out?

Just above him, he could hear the clicking and groaning of the hoard, still out there and waiting for him to reappear. Somewhere in the chaos, he’d lost his baseball bat and Sidney was still nowhere to be seen.

He swallowed thickly. Maybe he could make a run for it again. He moved slowly, going towards the only source of light available. He pushed against something heavy and looked out. All around, Runners and Crawlers were scavenging what looked to be the site of a collapsed building. Glass and rubble littered the floor and Jonas suddenly remembered that he was still in the supermarket.

Somehow, the entrance of the building had caved in and Jonas was currently hiding under one of the cash registers, along with the help of a large slab of concrete.

There was a window just a few feet from where he sat. He looked around again he could make it; he could totally make it.

A sudden array of nails and snarling made him shoot right back into his hiding place. Hands clawed at the concrete slab and a large, pale eye stared at him through the cracks. The Crawler shoved against the slab, dust pouring onto the floor between them. The creature was slightly too big to get at him for now, but the slab was starting to slide. It wouldn’t be long before Jonas felt the sweet release of death.

Slowly, the Crawler inched its way in, nails getting caught on Jonas’ jeans and trying to drag him out.

Jonas was close to kicking the creature in the face when the concrete slab suddenly moved. Light blared into the hiding spot and a warmth trickled thickly over Jonas’ face. Under the slab, the Crawler was limp, head crushed.

In its place, was a hand, warm and human and Jonas didn’t even hesitate to reach out and grab it.

He was hoisted into the air and onto the shoulder of a very large man. A plastic clown mask concealed his face and his loud voice was slightly muffled because of it.

“I’ve got him!” The man cried as gunshots echoed in Jonas’ ears. Jonas blinked just once and a cloud of dust worked its way into his eyes. He shut them tight. He could feel the black blood mixing with the grime and hardening on his cheeks.

Jonas clung to the body of the man, fingers gripping into thick padded shoulders. The gunfire was deafening. There was a cry from somewhere in the distance, something strong and hard and familiar.

In an instant, Jonas was dropped from his position onto the cold, hard ground, his back hitting the concrete and he winced.

“Jonas!” There were hands on his face as he struggled to sit up, gentle hands he’d felt against his skin so many times before cupping his face to make sure he was alright. Sid! Sid was okay!

“I thought you were dead in there,” Sid’s voice was raspy in his ear as he felt something wet wipe against his face. Slowly, the mix of black blood and dust started to come away.

Then, silence reigned over the street. The scent of blood still soaked into their clothes and the heavy darkness of splatters and droplets speckled across jackets and jeans. The quiet after a battle was always deafening.

As Sid worked across Jonas’ face with water, Jonas started allowing himself to try and blink the dust away from his eyes. With each blink, he would catch a brief snapshot of the scene in front of him.

Three people stood with their backs to him and Sidney, guns strapped across their shoulders and staring out across the supermarket. The store was once big and sturdy, but now it was half crumbled, the entrance almost entirely destroyed. A single corner was still standing and from that direction, another figure appeared.  
This figure wasn’t fast like a Runner, choosing instead to linger for a moment, staring at the building before strolling towards the group.

And the voice that came from it caused a chill to run down Jonas’ spine.

“Well, that was fuckin’ fun!” He said, ignoring Jonas and Sid to amble up to his group, slapping shoulders and sharing swears as they complimented themselves on a job well done. They began removing masks, giggling to themselves.

Somehow, Jonas’ eyes were suddenly clear and wide to stare at those broad shoulders he’d seen walk away from him so many times before. The man’s head turned and… Oh. Oh God, he was alive.

“Mitch?” Jonas’ voice trembled as he slowly raised to his feet. His legs felt like jelly, his heart in his throat as all four of the group in front of them seemed to still.  
And Mitch finally turned.

He was still the same as he’d always been, only his hair had gotten longer, his natural roots showing under the blond Jonas was used to. The scruff on his chin that Mitch had claimed to be a beard was thicker as well. He still donned the same pair of ripped jeans as he’d always done and the same orange Converses too.

“Joey?”

Mitch took a step forward and Jonas couldn’t help but copy the action. Wordlessly, they cautiously approached each other until Jonas was able to reach out and let his fingers graze against the back of Mitch’s hand.

And there was a spark as strong and bright as lightning.

Within seconds, Mitch had collected Jonas up and pulled him to his chest, long arms wrapping tightly around the smaller boy’s form with the intent of never letting go. Jonas’ fingers gripped at Mitch’s jacket, unable to move his arms. There were tears, he knew, falling down his grubby face, but he didn’t care. Instead, he pressed his forehead against Mitch’s shoulder, letting himself bathe in the familiarity of everything Mitch.

“Thought you were fuckin’ dead or something,” Mitch breathed against his ear, not even bothering to loosen his grip.

Jonas sniffed loudly. “I tried to find you, I did. But I had no choice but to leave Sellwood. My phone smashed during the panic.”

Mitch started swearing, his voice low and growling against Jonas’ cheek and that alone sent shivers down his spine. The swearing was random and mumbled, even as Mitch pulled back slightly, releasing Jonas from his grip to cup his face. Fingers brushed against his cheeks, trying to wipe away more of the dried blood. They travelled across his jaw, the bridge of his nose, under his eyes to try and stop Jonas’ salty tears from falling.

The only time Mitch was able to shut up was when he leaned down, letting Jonas hook his arms around his neck and pressed their lips together.

The kiss was sloppy and desperate with too much teeth and tongue to be comfortable. And yet, it was electrifying, relief running through Jonas’ veins before being quickly replaced by passion. His stomach twisted as Mitch tilted his head, his fingers dug into the hair at the back of Mitch’s head as their hips bumped together. One hand ran down to the small of his back and he could feel himself being tipped backwards ever so slightly.

They were out in the open, at risk of being attacked by Runners and yet they didn’t care. If they died now, they’d die happy and content in knowing they found each other one last time.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they parted, lips shining and eyes wet.

Jonas couldn’t help but smile and Mitch did the same, arms tightening around Jonas again.

“Well, fuck me,” A voice grumbled and both Mitch and Jonas looked around to see the rest of Mitch’s crew, masks removed. Javier, Scratch, and Cliff stood in disbelief, looking none the worse for wear than when Jonas had last seen them. They looked the same as ever, albeit a bit dustier than before and hair a touch longer too.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Javier suddenly cries, throwing his hands into the air and dropping his mask. “We spent weeks hunkered down in Sellwood because Mitch didn’t want to leave! We all thought you were dead!”

Suddenly, Javier is at their side and throws his arms around the two. It wasn’t a hug, per se, but it felt like it. The group then got heavier as Scratch launched herself onto Mitch’s back, chortling very loudly in their ears. Meanwhile, Cliff had approached with a frown and simply patted Mitch on the shoulder softly.  
The embrace Javier had captured them in was tight and comforting, yet as he let go, Jonas couldn’t help but something was missing.

He looked back over to where Sidney was stood, mouth open in shock and an open bottle of water still gripped between her fingers. Jonas untangled himself from the mass of limbs, managing to let go of Mitch and staggered over to his sister.

“Is this really happening?” Sidney asked. Jonas only nodded. “Of course your dumb boyfriend comes back, alive and well during the apocalypse.”

“I know,” Jonas breathed, his smile bright and feeling more ecstatic than he’d been for a long time.

“Are you going to bring them back to base?”

“I was hoping to.”

Sidney let out a loud sigh. The action caught the group’s attention and they all looked around. Mitch took it upon himself to straighten himself out and step forward.

“Got a problem, Clone?” He asked.

Slowly and carefully, Sidney closed the water bottle and made a big show of shrugging her backpack off her shoulder and sipping the bottle back in amongst the cans. She struggled with the zip for a moment before swinging the bag back into place.

She said nothing as she gestures with a finger for Mitch to come closer. Of course, Mitch takes the bait.

He’s barely three feet away from the twins when Sidney suddenly reaches out and yanks Mitch down by the front of his shirt. Mitch almost loses his balance as Sidney pulls his down so they’re glaring right at each other.

“Let me make this perfectly clear,” Sidney starts, voice low, “I don’t care if we’re in the middle of the end of the world and that we’re all supposed to protect each other for humanity’s sake. If you even think about hurting my little brother then I will make sure that you will pay dearly for it. Understand?”

Mitch sucked in a breath through his nose, eyes flickering from Sidney’s menacing gaze to where Jonas stood at her shoulder, trying to break the two apart.

“Yeah,” Mitch finally said and Sidney immediately let go.

“Oh, and it’s not me who’ll have a problem with you turning up out of the blue. That honour will go to Dean,” Sidney stepped back, letting Jonas work his way back into Mitch’s space.

“That fucker still around?” Mitch grumbled, shoulders tightening at the mere thought of the man. He relaxed slightly when Jonas took his hand.

“We have a base not far from here. It’s not much but it’s well-protected. There’s running water and a generator for electricity along with a lot of rooms so you can each have your own space,” Jonas explained, skipping over the fact that Dean was still alive and watching over the twins.

“You askin’ us back to your place, Spots?” Mitch asked. He raised an eyebrow suggestively and Jonas could see his lights again, pink and glowing brightly. It had been a while since they’d turned that colour.

“Only if you guys want to,” Jonas replied.

Mitch smirked and leaned down to press his forehead against Jonas’. He gave a small, short kiss to his lips and then pulled back to look over his shoulder.

With a nod to the rest of his gang, Mitch started following along after Jonas and Mitch. Whilst the base was a good hour’s walk away, Mitch and Jonas refused to let go of each other’s hand the entire time and thought to themselves that maybe, just maybe, their future was starting to look a little more promising.

**Author's Note:**

> I have plans for a sequel, so look forward to that!
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr @mitjoisperfect


End file.
